Album Review

Eurythmics followed their 1982 breakthrough album Sweet Dreams with the superior Touch, which yielded three hit singles and kept the innovative duo at the forefront of the 1980s British new wave explosion and MTV phenomenon. Mixing cold, hard, synthesized riffs with warm, luscious vocals, the duo crafted some of the most unique and trendsetting music the 1980s had to offer. Subsequent albums found the duo leaning heavier toward straightforward rock — this album found them at the height of their electronic incarnation. The lead single, "Here Comes the Rain Again," is a melodramatic opus, complete with pre-techno beats, sweeping strings, and Annie Lennox' rushing, cool vocals. The soulful "Who's That Girl" is an icy, steamy throwback to the torch songs of yesteryear, with Lennox oozing sensuality from every syllable emitted from her lips. The final hit, "Right by Your Side," finds the duo in a cheerful, Caribbean-inspired mode. Other standouts include the seven-and-a-half-minute disco trance of "Paint a Rumour," the driving "The First Cut," and the icy, spellbinding, and sparse "No Fear No Hate No Pain (No Broken Hearts)." The cool, sophisticated musical experimentalism all over Touch cemented Eurythmics' reputation as one of the most innovative duos of their time; the hit singles solidified their reputation as dependable 1980s hitmakers and MTV mainstays. Touch is a testament to what Eurythmics were at the height of their electronic-techno phase and, without doubt, is a milestone in 1980s pop music. [This reissue of the album includes seven bonus tracks, including live versions of "Who's That Girl?" and "Here Comes the Rain Again" (the latter previously unreleased) and a long version of "Paint a Rumour."] ~ Jose F. Promis, Rovi

Customer Reviews

The best Eurythmics album

by
Amedeo29

The first four albums of the Eurythmics were some of the best electronic music from the 80's.

"In The Garden""Sweet Dreams (are made of these)""Touch"Soundtrack to the film "1984"

Aside from the cult classic soundtrack to "1984" (which still hasn't been released on iTunes, sadly) Touch is the pinnacle of Eurythmics before they changed their course to a more rock n' roll sound (with the exception of 1988's Savage, which revisited their earlier style).

Track by track:

Here comes the rain again: The massively successful single from the album, this song sounds as edgy and sexy today as it did over 25 years ago. Alongside "Sweet Dreams" this is probably their best song.

Regrets: The music to this song is probably the weakest on the album, but acidic lyrics are its saving grace. You'll be singing right along with Annie "My fist collides with your furniture"

RIght by your side: This song has a very Jamaican sounding influence. The song is so joyful it wouldn't even be recognizable as an Eurythmics song - if it wasn't for Annie's voice. This song grows on you over time, and is up there as one of their best. Didn't make the first greatest hits collection in 1991, but they rectified the error when it was added to their more recent hits collection.

Cool Blue: Sexy and cold. The lyrics, as usual, are perfect for Annie's voice. Love the sped up voice chanting "HOW COULD SHE FALL FOR A BOY LIKE THAT?"

Who's that girl: A sleek and dirty song, one of my personal favorites. Check out the music video, it's probably their best one. Playing with sexual identity, the final shot is of sexy Annie in a wig kissing an Annie in male drag.

The first cut: This was the only song I didn't like when I owned the vinyl back in the 80's. Something about it just felt cheesy. However, I like it now. It makes me long for the old Annie, especially after hearing the album BARE, which couldn't be further removed from this style of music. Not the best track, and really only essential for those are really looking to delve into everything Annie.

Aqua: I love this song so much. Without a doubt the best song on the album, and possibly their best non-released track. It seethes with paranoia, anger, and fear. Such an awesome awesome song.

No fear, No hate, No pain: The last three tracks on this album are the best. This song could've been about a minute shorter, but other than that its perfect. I love the way the song creeps up on you. The first minute and 20 seconds slowly build as Annie moans, then at 1:19 the song just grabs you. "You've got the killing gun held in your hand - It feels like cold, cold steel!"

Paint a rumour: You know the saying, save the best for last, well that applies for Touch. This song clocks in at 7:30, but its worth it. You want it to last the full 7 minutes. The bass in this song is very fun, as are Annie's vocals and the lyrics, but then of course they are.

Definitely

by
Geeknrd

This is the Eurythmics at their finest. If classic techno is your bag, this is an irreplaceable addition to your collection.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

by
all me and nobody else

There are definitely good points in this album. "Here Comes the Rain Again" is angelic. "Who's that Girl" is emotional. "Right By Your Side" is fun. "No Fear No Hate No Pain" is grand. "Aqua" is depressing, but interesting. On the other hand, there is "Paint A Rumour" which is long and monotonous. And for the ugly, all of the b-sides "You Take Some Lentils" and "ABC Freeform" along with "Regrets" are either unbearable or close to it.

Biography

Formed: 1980 in London, England

Genre: Pop

Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s

Eurythmics were one of the most successful duos to emerge in the early '80s. Where most of their British synth pop contemporaries disappeared from the charts as soon as new wave faded away in 1984, Eurythmics continued to have hits until the end of the decade, making vocalist Annie Lennox a star in her own right, as well as establishing instrumentalist Dave Stewart as a successful, savvy producer and songwriter. Originally, the duo channelled the eerily detached sound of electronic synthesizer music...